Using the Expression Editor

Role: Administrators

Minimum Version: Ivanti Neurons for ITSM 2023.4

Use the Expression Editor to construct expressions, to create or edit rules (for example, an initialization, editing, calculation, read-only, required, or before-save rule), and as a tool in creating and editing quick actions.

Expression Editor

The Expression Editor has five parts: the , the left side where you enter syntax, the lower message area, and the right side where you select fields, functions, and time zones.

Parts of the Expression Editor

The Expression Editor uses color coding help visualize the structure of your expression. These colors are fixed and cannot be customized.

When you enter an expression directly into the left side of the Expression Editor, the application provides hints based on what you enter. For example, if you know that you want to enter something about email, type email, and the application displays a list of all the field names, functions, and keywords that have email in them.

Expression Editor Displaying Hints

The application shows both the business object name and the display name for items on the right side of the Expression Editor, but only if the display name is different than the business object name. The display name is shown in parentheses. You can also search by both business object name and display name.

You can add predefined snippets to an expression. On the left side, start typing and the application displays a list of all the snippets, keywords, functions, and fields with the text that you entered.

Adding a Snippet in the Expression Editor

You can simplify expressions. The simplify feature works for all expression types, such as Boolean, DateTime, text, integer, etc. It mostly handles Boolean expressions, replacing one expression by another that is equivalent, but simpler. The simplify feature also replaces some implicit conversion with explicit conversions, which can make the expression longer but makes it simpler.

In the following examples, e is a Boolean expression. If e is another type of expression that can be implicitly converted to e, then the result is the converted value, not the original e.

$(e and true) => $(e)

$(e and false) => $(false)

$(not not e) => $(e)

$(not true) => $(false)

$(true == e) => $(e)

$(e == false) => $(not e)

$(not (e1 and e2)) => $(not e1 or not e2)

$(not (e1 or e2)) => $(not e1 and not e2)

In this section, a and b are two comparable values, not necessarily Booleans. However the result of comparing them via a relational value is always Boolean and therefore this section is included with the Boolean simplifications.

$(not (a <= b)) => $(a > b)

$(not (a in (v1, v2,...)) => $(a not in (v1,v2,...))

In this section, e is a Boolean expression and a and b are two expressions of the same type.

$(if a > 0 then true else false) => $(a > 0)

$(if e then false else true) => $(not e)

If e1 and e2 are Boolean expressions, then:

$(if e1 then e2 else false) => $(e1 and e2)

The simplify feature does not insert an explicit conversion of any type to text. However, using other conversion operators makes the intent clearer. For example:

$(if 5 then a else b) => $(if Boolean(5) then a else b)

$(true + 10) => $(Number(true) + 10)

The expression validator provides informational messages about the correctness of expressions. The expression validator is used everywhere to validate the expressions where ever they are used and is a part of the metadata validator, described in Working with Metadata.

The expression validator validates business rules, quick actions, data segregation, form expressions, and control expressions. It does not perform detailed validations for LDAP, request offerings, pick lists, or relationship expressions.

The expression validator checks the semantics of the expression, such as ensuring the following:

The parser checks the syntax and figures out the structure of the expression, such as ensuring that:

The expression validator provides informational messages and suggestions about expression semantics. For example, if you enter something incorrectly into the Expression Editor, (such as misspelling an expression name), the expression validator returns a warning or error message and provides a hint about the problem.

In the following example, the name of the built-in function FindAncestor is misspelled. The expression validator provides an informational error message and does not allow you to save the expression and may also give you a suggestion about which function to use.

Expression Editor Validation Message Example 1

In this example, the expression validator displays an error message:

Expression Editor Validation Message Example 2

The Expression Editor displays a superscript number next to an error if there are multiple errors, to make it easier to identify which error goes with which error message. The Expression Editor also provides information about misspelled validation list values, identifies keywords, and displays helper text that gives alternatives.

Expression Editor Validation Message Example 3

You can access the Expression Editor in different ways, depending on the business object type.

There are several ways to access the Expression Editor in the Configuration Console.

Add comments to your expression code, or comment out code in the Expression Editor and in the Simplified Expression Editor. The following rules appy to comments when entered into an expression: